Clothes reel



June 12,1945. W HA D 5 2,378,150

CLOTHES REEL Filed Dec. 11, 1943 INVENTOR, r/a/z 63 Mia/ulna,

A TTORNE Y.

Patented June 12, 1945 'JohnC. Mich-sue,springfilwmass,assumes-toWilliam 'T. Turner, Charlemont," Mass.

Application December 11, 1943, SerialNo. 513,909

v 2 Claims. (01. an -1 7s;

This invention relates to improvements in clothes reels, and is,particularly, an improvement in the collapsible, revolvable clothes reeldisclosed, described, and claimed in'U. 3. Letters PatentNo. 1, 539,685,issued tome on ,May 26,

revolvable cap mounted on a central post engage, and support a collarslidably engagedon the post,

, to which collar the reel bars are pivotally secured.

Brace bars pivo-tally secured on the cap and the reel bars aid insupporting the reel bars in extended or operating position. When thelatch members are released from engagement with the collar or sleeve,the reel collapses of its own weight, the sleeve sliding downwardly onthe post. The latch members are pivotally secured on the cap member insuch a manner that their centers of gravity lie outside of the engagingportions of the sleeve, so that they are maintained in engaging relationwith the sleeve by'the force of gravity.

This invention is directed to positive means for resiliently maintainingthe latch members in engaging relation with the reel bar supportingcollar or sleeve.

An object of this invention is to provide, in a Inthe constructiondisclosed in the above patent, latch members pivotally supported on arevolvably supported on the post, a sleeve sli'dab'lyf secured on thepost, reel bars pivotally supported onthe sleeve, brace bars pivotallysecuredon-the cap member and the reel bars, and latch members pivotal-1ysecured on the cap and 'removablyrengaged on-the sleevefor supportingthe reel bars'in extended position, of a resilient spring memberengagingthe latch members for holding the latch members in engaging relationwith the sleeve.

Preferred embodiments of this invention'aref disclosed in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the reel post, cap, sleeve, and latches.

Fig. 2' is a plan view of the cap shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4t of Fig. 1,1ookingin'thedirection of the arrows,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the clothes reel, showing it inextended position in full lines and in collapsed position in dottedlines, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a i modified form ofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, in which like numerals refer tolike parts throughout,

A post I' has revolvably supported on the'top cured at oneend thereof.The cap 4 is provided with slotted lugs 8 corresponding to the lugs 5 ong the sleeve 5, and brace bars 9 are pivotally con collapsible,revolvable clothes'reel having latches for holding the reelin extendedposition, positive mechanical means for holding the latches in engagingposition, which means may be manually released to permit collapse of thereel.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a reel constructionof the character described, resilient means for maintaining the latchmembers in engaging relation with the slidable sleeve at all timesexcept when the resilient means are intentionally and manually displacedto permit collapse of the clothes reel.

These, and other objects and advantages of this invention will beclearly disclosed and described in this specification, the accompanyingdrawing and the appended claims.

Broadly, this invention comprises, in a co1lapsi-. ble clothes reel, incombination with a post; a cap nected at one end in the lugs 8, and atthe opposite end to the reel bars 1, as diagrammatically shown in Fig.5. The cap 5 is also providedwith' oppositely disposed lugs ID, to whichare pivotally secured latch members H. The latches II are notched neartheir lower endsat l2 to receive bars l3 connecting opposite pairs oflugs 6 on the sleeve 5. The upper ends of the latches I I are slotted toengage the lugs Ill and are provided with bridge members or stops l5which engage the tops of lugs ID. The pivots I4 of thelatches II arelocated outside of th bars 53, and also outside of the center of gravityof the latches H,

whereby the force of g avity tends to swing the latches outwardly, andthis action is limited by the stop members l5 engaging the lugs In onthe cap 4 so that the latches II are normally maintained in anapproximately vertical position. The

lower ends of the latches H, andthe bars 13, are formed with cooperatingcam surfaces It and I1 whereby, when the sleeve 5 is moved upwardlyonthe post I from its collapsed position, these cam surfaces will move thelatches I I inwardly toward the post I until the bars I3 are engaged inthe slots I2.

All the above described construction is shown in my Patent #1,539,685

This invention comprises a spring ring or band I8 encircling the post Iand secured on the latches I I by means of rivets, bolts, screws, orother suitable means I9, below the pivot points I4 and stops I5. Theband I8, in cooperation with the stops I5, acts to securely hold andmaintain the latches II in a fixed position in engaging rela-".

tion with the bars I3 on the sleeve 5. The latches I I may be manuallyforced inwardly by distorting the ring or band I8, to disengage thelatches from the bars I3, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3.

A modified form of this invention is illustrated in Fig. 6. Individualstrip spring members 20 are secured on the latches II and bear againstthe post I. The operation is the same as that described for the band I8.

Whereas I have described the latches I I as an oppositely disposed pair,it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that more maybe used if desired, and that the spring ring I8 or individual springs 29will operate as emciently.

Whereas I have described this invention in terms of the particularembodiments thereof shown in the drawing, it will be readily understoodby those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in theform, material, and location of the resilient latch engaging meanswithout departing from the scope of this invention as disclosed andclaimed.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

-1. In a clothes reel construction having a post, a cap revolvablysupported on said post, a sleeve slidably and revolvably supported onsaid post, reel arms pivotally connected to said sleeve, and bracespivotally connected to said cap and said reel arms, the combination of apair of oppositely disposed latches pivotally connected to anddependingirom said cap, cooperating means between said latches and saidsleeve for releasably supporting said sleeve, a resilient ringencircling said post and engaging said latches for forcing said latchesoutwardly from said post, and stop means for limiting the outwardmovement of said latches.

2. In a clothes reel construction of the character described, thecombination with a post, a cap mounted on said post, a sleeve slidablysupported on said post, and a pair of oppositely disposed latchespivotally mounted on said cap and having notched ends for engaging saidsleeve, of a spring ring mounted on said latches and normally urgingsaid latches outwardly against

